Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "Borders, Fences and Chasms" Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "Borders, Fences and Chasms" Wednesday, 26 February 2014
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.--Luke 16:26
In his poem, "Mending Wall," Robert Frost quotes his neighbor as saying, "Good fences make good neighbors." Mr. Frost doesn't much agree with that idea, and there was a time in my life when I didn't either. 
Still, there is some truth in the idea that good fences and good borders make for good neighbors.
Sometimes, like the borders between Israel and the countries which surround her, they can mark real differences in religion, morality, philosophy and geographical claims. Then there are borders like that which separates North and South Korea. That border keeps separate two nations with two completely different political systems. And if you're wondering just how different are they ...?
Well, they are so different that for months those divergent nations have been thinking about talking about the possibility of allowing controlled reunions between a few of the families, which were separated when the border went up in the 1950s. Everyone involved with this process understands such a gathering is not guaranteed nor certain. Even so, the talks provide hope for members of the older generation who wish to see loved ones one last time before they die.
Of course, not all borders are earthly. Scripture speaks of another border: the chasm which separates heaven from hell. That border has been in existence longer than any other. To the best of my knowledge that chasm has only been crossed once, and that was on Resurrection Sunday when the Christ, having descended into hell, rose from the dead.
It would be impossible to list the differences that exist between those two places. One is filled with joy and jubilation, the other with sadness and sorrow. One echoes with songs of praise, and the other the moans of those who are in agony. The inhabitants of one place acknowledge the great love and grace of God, which has brought them there, and the other has souls that eternally long for a second chance, a second chance which will never come.
Understand, it is not the Triune God's fault that those lost souls languish as they do. It was His desire that all people be called to faith in His Son, who gave His life so all of humanity's sins might be removed and they might be forgiven. Not only did the Lord sacrifice His Son for our salvation, He also extended an invitation to "Believe, be baptized, be saved." (See Mark 16:16.)
It was an offer made without cost to the recipient and remains in effect as long as that individual is alive. Yes, God made a long-standing, but not an everlasting, offer to us. To share that offer to the world is why your denomination, your church, your school, Lutheran Hour Ministries does what it does.
We want to make sure no soul has to spend eternity contemplating and cursing the chasm that separates them from heaven.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that by Jesus' blood I have a home in heaven. Now may I reach out to those who are headed for the other side of the chasm. Bless my words and let these people see, while there is time, how bad things are on the other side. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pastor KlausIn Christ I remain His servant and yours, 
Pastor Ken Klaus 
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Leviticus 6:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “If anyone sins, and commits a trespass against Yahweh, and deals falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit, or of bargain, or of robbery, or has oppressed his neighbor, 3 or has found that which was lost, and dealt falsely therein, and swearing to a lie; in any of these things that a man does, sinning therein; 4 then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found, 5 or any thing about which he has sworn falsely; he shall restore it even in full, and shall add a fifth part more to it. To him to whom it belongs he shall give it, in the day of his being found guilty. 6 He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest. 7 The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he does to become guilty.”
8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 The priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put on his linen breeches upon his body; and he shall remove the ashes from where the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 He shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
14 “‘This is the law of the meal offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before Yahweh, before the altar. 15 He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the meal offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma, as its memorial, to Yahweh. 16 That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 17 It shall not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, as the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’”
19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to Yahweh in the day when he is anointed: one tenth of an ephah[a] of fine flour for a meal offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil in a griddle. When it is soaked, you shall bring it in. You shall offer the meal offering in baked pieces for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 22 The anointed priest that will be in his place from among his sons shall offer it. By a statute forever, it shall be wholly burnt to Yahweh. 23 Every meal offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
24 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before Yahweh. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 27 Whatever shall touch its flesh shall be holy. When there is any of its blood sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled in a holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests shall eat of it: it is most holy. 30 No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten: it shall be burned with fire.
7:1 “‘This is the law of the trespass offering. It is most holy. 2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering, he shall kill the trespass offering; and its blood he shall sprinkle around on the altar. 3 He shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards, 4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, shall he take away; 5 and the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to Yahweh: it is a trespass offering. 6 Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
7 “‘As is the sin offering, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with them shall have it. 8 The priest who offers any man’s burnt offering, even the priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered. 9 Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the pan, and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it. 10 Every meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.
11 “‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil. 13 With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving. 14 Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. 15 The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16 “‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice; and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten: 17 but what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire. 18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
19 “‘The flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. As for the flesh, everyone who is clean may eat it; 20 but the soul who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that belongs to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people. 21 When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which belong to Yahweh, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat. 24 The fat of that which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of animals, may be used for any other service, but you shall in no way eat of it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the animal, of which men offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people. 26 You shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
28 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to Yahweh shall bring his offering to Yahweh out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 With his own hands he shall bring the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before Yahweh. 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. 32 The right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33 He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34 For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’”
35 This is the anointing portion of Aaron, and the anointing portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to Yahweh in the priest’s office; 36 which Yahweh commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion forever throughout their generations. 37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings; 38 which Yahweh commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Footnotes:
a. Leviticus 6:20 1 ephah is about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel
Mark 6:1 He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were offended at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. 6 He marveled because of their unbelief.
He went around the villages teaching. 7 He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, 9 but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. 14 King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 16 But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.” 17 For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her. 18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
21 Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.”
25 She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”
26 The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
-------
The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63141 
1(800)876-9880
-------